Quest of the Century
by NumberSixteen
Summary: Team Natsu heads out on a century quest! When they stumble across Aquarius' key, everything changes and once again, Fairy Tail may be tested. (Ships will be included!) You fired up yet?
1. A Long Journey

**A/U**

 **Ah, feels good to be back. I've been away from the fanfiction world for a long time, but then I found Fairy Tail. What a fantastic story and such beautiful characters. I needed to expand this universe somehow, so here I am.**

 **I haven't written anything in a very long time, so this may be rough for the first few chapters, but I will find my way back eventually. So for all of you awesome people who have taken a chance on my work here, I truly do appreciate you.**

 **Final thought: I don't own Fairy Tail, but I must also hand it to Mashima for such a remarkable and impactful story. Mr. Mashima, I deeply admire your artistic and creative mind. Thank you so much for birthing Fairy Tail.**

 **With that said, let's get started.**

 **I'm feeling fired up now!**

 **~NumberSixteen**

 _It's a beautiful day in Fiore. The sun is shining down upon our heroes as they wander through a luscious and spatial forest._

"Can we take a break?" A tiny sigh of exhaustion could be heard.

I countered the sigh with one of my own. "I agree with the cat… for once."

Erza didn't slow her pace, although it was already leisurely in her eyes. "It's perfect travel weather. We don't want to get caught in the rain again, do we?"

"No, but I don't see a cloud for miles." Gray chimed in this time. "It's not like we're in a rush."

Natsu rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Taking a break means I can eat."

"Me too!" Happy's energy seemed to rejuvenate immediately. He joyfully swooned through the air above Natsu. "I bet we could catch a fish in the river! Maybe a dozen!"

Natsu clenched his fist and grinned up at Happy. "You really know how to speak my language, buddy!"

Carla prodded along beside Wendy. "I think we could all use a break."

"Fine." Erza dropped the handle to her cart that lugs her mountain of suitcases. "We will break for no more than an hour."

"Oh yeah!" Natsu and Happy chimed together and immediately made beeline for the river bank, fishing poles in hand.

"Thank goodness," I breathed and plopped down at the base of the nearest tree. "I just need to relax for a while. Walking everywhere takes a lot out of a girl!"

"It definitely does," Wendy added as she and Carla settled in to the left of me. "It's nice to be doing normal jobs again, but I didn't think we'd be going so far!"

I smiled softly. "I don't think any of us expected it, but at least the powerhouse team is back together."

Wendy laughed lightly, "Just like good-ole times."

I leaned back against the tree, enjoying the shade it gave, and watched Gray settle in near Natsu and Happy. He opened his bag and grabbed his notebook and pen. He smiled subtly as he began to write.

" _He's writing another letter to Juvia. How sweet!"_ I thought to myself. " _I wish I could write someone back at the guild. I suppose I could write to Levy… I wonder how she and Gajeel are doing?"_

After the entire debacle with Zeref and Achnologia, we've all been enjoying having normal lives again. I've finished my novel and I even won an award! Ever since, I've been looking for new inspiration for my second work, but I've come up with nothing substantial. Natsu suggested that I publish my diary, but of course I turned that suggestion down with a well-timed Lucy kick. But still, I can't shake the feeling of being without inspiration.

As I came out of my short trance, a shadow fell over Wendy, Carla and I. I looked up to see the sparkle of armor and scarlet hair. "Oh hi, Erza."

"I have brought treats for the four of us," She announced forcefully, shoving small platters into our hands. "Strawberry shortcake."

"Thank you!" Wendy cooed happily, her eyes dazzled as she admired the small but perfect portion of cake.

I laughed softly as Erza planted herself on my right with a 'thud'. "Where did you get this?" I asked curiously.

Erza passed us a small smile, "In the last town. I was waiting for a perfect time like this to indulge in it." She looked up and across the road toward Natsu, Happy, and Gray. "I thought that the lot of us could have a picnic, but I didn't want to risk several meals getting squashed on my cart, so I settled for a few small sweets."

Wendy, Carla and I gave a shaky giggle and forced smiles on our faces as our eyes fell on the cart that Erza has dragged nearly one thousand miles already. It was almost visibly wobbling under the load she has put on it. Since we left Magnolia, she's accumulated a lot more stuff and the cart is having a harder and harder time getting anywhere. But of course, Erza refuses to acknowledge the limitations of her cart, demanding that she because crafted it herself, it can withstand any beating.

"Well, thank you Erza!" Wendy shoveled the first bite past her lips. "This is amazing!"

Erza smirked at us, "I know all the good places in Fiore for top-notch sweets. You could almost say it's a weakness of mine."

"Almost?" I nearly choked on my cake but recovered quickly when Erza's smirk turned to a glare. "Nevermind!"

We settled in comfortably, enjoying our cake and chatting like the lot of women we are. We watched as Natsu and Happy impatiently fished and Gray scribbled his letter to Juvia. The noon-time sun slowly settled into the early afternoon, but the warm temperature remained.

A while after we had finished our cake, Gray suddenly slammed his notebook closed and shoved it back into his bag. We all watched as he rose and began stripping.

"Hey!" I shouted at him. "Put your clothes back on!"

"Shuddap!" He countered lazily. "It's hot out and I don't like that. I'm going swimming."

He threw off his socks and took off for the river. As he leaped in, Natsu and Happy visibly angered, probably due to their lack of success fishing.

"Hey Frosty!" Natsu shouted angrily, "We're fishing here!"

Gray simply ignored the fireball and floated along his back. "This feels so much better."

Wendy suddenly lept to her feet as well, "I think I want to go swimming too!"

Erza huffed irritably, "We really should get moving again."

"Oh, come on Erza," I smiled and got to my own feet. "It's like Gray said, we're not in a rush anyway!" I started toward the river myself, looking forward to a relaxing dip in the river.

Carla was the next to rise and head for the river. "I suppose just a short swim wouldn't be such a bad idea."

I hurriedly changed into my bikini and got into the river slowly, "Ahhh… This water feels amazing!" I sunk into the water until it came to my shoulders.

"No fair!" Natsu barked, "If I can't fish, then I guess I'll just have to swim too! But all of you better watch out because I am the king of water fights!" He ripped off his vest and pants, revealing a concealed pair of swim trunks. "You're going down, Gray!"

"Like hell I am!" Gray shouted back. "I'll kick your butt right now!"

"Wanna test me!?" Natsu hurled himself into the water and began trenching toward Gray. "I'm fired up now!"

"Boys!" Erza snapped at the pair angrily. "I'm getting in too so do _not_ make me come over-"

The wave that washed over all of us could not have come a moment sooner as Natsu and Gray began to go at it, neither of them hearing Erza's partial warning. Well, maybe they did, but chose to ignore it. No matter, they still didn't know what was coming next. Erza was already drenched and while the rest of us saw the glint of fury in her eyes, the tussling pair did not.

I gulped as I prepared to witness the ensuing punishment she would deal out on the quarreling pair. "Natsu! Gray! Run!" I shouted at them hurriedly to warn them.

Both looked back my way dumbly, only to see Erza, in a fit of rage, barrelling toward them. "You bastardly boys! Are you deaf?!"

 **A/U**

 **Okay, I think I accomplished what I was trying to do. I know this seems a bit one-shot-ish, but I promise it is going to flesh out more as I continue into later chapters. I want to take my time on this one and try to get as close to the characters as I can.**

 **Constructive criticism is highly encouraged and I really could use it. I'm definitely aiming to give you all the best story I can possibly present.**

 **Once again, thank you all. See you soon!**

 **~NumberSixteen**


	2. Velda's Shopkeeper

**A/U**

 **Thank you everyone that is tuning in for chapter 2!**

 **I am definitely looking forward to today's writing. I have some great ideas for this story and hopefully, we can start the story line in this chapter. And of course, I will try to squeeze in a tiny bit of the beginnings of NaLu.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~NumberSixteen**

* * *

 _As dusk approached, our heroes find themselves wandering into a quaint town in eastern Fiore called Velda._

"We made it!" Natsu gasped joyfully. "I hope there is somewhere good to eat nearby."

"Me too..." Happy rubbed his rumbling belly. "If only we had been able to catch some fish."

Gray gawked at the pair, "You two cannot be serious!"

Just as another fight was about to begin, Erza stepped in and silenced them with a signature bang on the head to each of them. "I will find us an inn for the night. You lot can go find something to eat if you like."

"Carla and I will go with you!" Wendy chimed in, hugging Carla to her chest. "We're both super tired."

Gray reached into his bag and pulled out his notebook. "I'm going to find the post office before it closes. We probably won't see another town for a while, so I want to get this to Juvia."

I blinked as everyone turned to look at me. "Oh! Uhhh…" I glanced around. "I guess I can just go look around a bit. I'm not really that tired."

"Whatever," Gray mumbled under his breath and began walking into town.

"Bye!" Wendy called as she followed Erza away; Carla also waved tiredly in her arms.

I waved back and turned to see Natsu and Happy still standing there.

"You coming to eat or what?" Natsu asked bluntly.

I laughed awkwardly, "I'm not really that hung-"

-growwwl-

"Uh-huh," Happy grunted before his tone changed. "Let's go find some yummy fish!"

"But I want to go look around the town and maybe get some stuff!" I whined as they began to drag me to the nearest restaurant.

Natsu didn't loosen his grip as he pulled me away, "We can do that after eating!"

"Yeah!" Happy added, "Food always comes first!"

"Fine…" I whined softly and began walking upright with then.

The restaurant itself was small but homely. The stain on the wooden tables and chairs was fading and the floor creaked with each step. According to Natsu's first words when we walked in, the place smelled like old coffee and old people. We settled in by a window as the sun began to set over the mountain tops.

I crossed my arms over the table top and rested my head on them, watching the sky slowly change. The sunset colors seemed fitting for her friend across the table. I smiled inwardly as I admired the view.

"What do you think, Happy?" Natsu asked excitedly as they both crammed their heads in front of a single menu. "An entire pork roast or an entire chicken?"

Happy laughed wickedly. "Both!"

Natsu imitated Happy's laugh, "You are one smart cat!"

"Oo! Get the rack of fish kabobs too!" Happy nearly drooled, "I hope they serve them raw!"

I stifled my laughter as I picked up a menu for myself and browsed it. I mused to myself that this place was clearly a mom and pops kind of restaurant. The menu items were predictable, but hopefully delicious. I decided on the club sandwich and we all passed our orders on to the waitress, albeit Natsu and Happy's forcefully excited, yet unsurprisingly outrageous, requests.

It had been almost two weeks since we had left Magnolia and we were finally getting close to our destination, Hellebore. When Natsu took the quest, there was very little information to be given about what the task actually is. It was simply a location and an ancient book in writing that not even Levy could decipher. However, the cover was an elaborate picture of a volcano and a dark blue box at it's base. Some of the pages in the book were missing, presumably due to it's age. None of us were sure what to make of it when we agreed to go with Natsu, but we were not really that worried about it when we set off. Now that we're less than a week away from Hellebore, I've begun to wonder about what exactly we will find there.

"Natsu," I asked pointedly, "What do you think we will find when we get to Hellebore?"

"I don't know," Natsu grinned back at me stupidly, "But I can't wait to get there!"

Just as I was about to speak again, our waitress walked up with our meals in tow. As she began laying the plates down she looked at us worriedly. "You guys are going to Hellebore?"

"Yeah!" Natsu chided back. "We're from the Fairy Tail guild and we got a job request to go there." His excitement for the job switched to excitement for his meal when the pork roast and chicken landed on the table.

She raised her eyebrows as she placed down my club sandwich. "Man, you guys must be crazy if you're going there."

I ignored my food, unlike my counterparts, to respond. "Do you know something about Hellebore?"

The waitress shrugged slightly, "Not much. I just know that the people in this town and the surrounding towns are forbidden from going there."

"Why?" Natsu asked through a mouthful of roast.

The waitress simply sighed, "Legend has it that there's a woman that guards the castle on the volcano. This town sent a scouting party there long before I was born and only one man returned. He told the town he was only allowed to live to tell the tale of the party's massacre and that we should never return there."

"That's heavy," I replied. "Anything else?"

"Yeah, who is the woman?" Natsu asked blatantly, mouth still chock-full of grub.

The waitress held up her hands and laughed awkwardly, "I really don't know anything else.."

"Well thanks anyway," I replied and eyed my sandwich.

"Enjoy your food!" The waitress called as she began walking away.

I scoffed as I picked up the first triangle of my sandwich. "Well that didn't seem very promising."

"Eh?" Natsu tore through a chicken leg, "I think we'll be fine. We're the wonder squad of Fairy Tail, right?'

"Right!" I smiled back.

* * *

 _After a hearty meal, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy find themselves browsing through a few of Velda's local shops._

"Hey Lucy! Check it out!" Natsu called from behind me.

When I turned and looked, I couldn't help but giggle a little bit. "You're an idiot!"

Natsu grinned teasingly as he removed the stereotypical and pointy wizard hat from his head and put it on Happy's instead. "We should get this for Gray! Maybe he'll finally fit in with the strongest team in Fairy Tail!"

I put my hands up and shook my head at Natsu, "Maybe leaving it here will be for the best. The last thing we want is for you and Gray to have a brawl and destroy the inn. Erza would have an aneurysm!"

"Well, it looks great on Happy, so we'll get it anyway." Natsu giggled gleefully at Happy's new getup.

As the rambunctious pair continued to pretend being melodramatic wizards, I wandered over to the collectables area of the small shop. I was surprised to see so many delicate items strewn around inside the display case. There's so much fine jewelry, I can hardly tear my eyes away. Elegant tea sets beautifully presented alongside some equally stunning magical artifacts. There is even a golden zodiac key.

"Wait…. What!"

My eyes froze on the key, gently resting in a satin box. My jaw dropped.

"Aquarius…? Is that really you?"

Memories of Aquarius entered my mind, just as quickly as my previous thought came and went. I rested my shaky hands against the glass of the display case, my breathing following suit with my trembling fingers.

"Ahh," The store owner walked up leisurely. "I see you've found my most prized collectable. Beautiful isn't it?"

I turned to the store owner blankly, "How did you get this?"

The store owner smirked, teetering on a sneer. "Oh, you know, we shopkeepers meet many travelers that sometimes offer up very rare treasures."

I turned back to the key. "May I see it?"

The shopkeeper jingled his keys on his waistband. "For one hundred thousand jewel, you can have it."

My hopefulness began to overcome me. "I'll do it after I make sure the key is real."

"Oh it's real, alright." The shopkeeper jingled his keys again, mocking my resolve. "But you don't get the key until I see the jewel."

"Fine." I said, disgruntled and began digging around in my purse. "It's everything I have, but here."

The shopkeeper's smile appeared slightly sinister as he took the last of my remaining money. "Thank you for your business."

He approached the display case and began unlocking it. My hands trembled as he handed over the satin box.

"Here you are, little lady." The shopkeeper released the box into my hands.

I hurriedly grabbed the key from the box and gripped it between my fingers. "Open! Gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!"

Nothing….

First, a tear rolled down my cheek. Second, I felt fury like I haven't ever felt before. "This key is a fake!"

The shopkeeper's eyes widened slightly as he took a small step backward. "Little lady, I can assure that key is not a fake. I doubt you're a celestial wizard, thus the reason why the gate is not opening. No need to be upset."

"What did you say?" I asked scornfully. "If I'm not a celestial wizard, then what do you call these!?" I screeched and whipped out my remaining zodiac keys, dangling them before me.

The shopkeeper's jaw dropped slightly. "Oh, so you are a celestial wizard, are you?"

"I am," I spoke in a low and warning tone. "And Aquarius was one of my spirits. I've been looking everywhere for her key since I lost her."

"Well," The shopkeeper stood upright again and straightened his waistcoat. "I suppose it's your own fault for not realizing it sooner. I'll be closing up here in a few minutes, so maybe it's about time you leave."

"Now that just isn't right," A voice echoed through the store. "You had better give Lucy her money back. Now."

The shopkeeper turned on his heel to see Natsu standing a few feet behind, flames beginning to originate around him.

"And you are?" The shopkeeper asked pointedly.

"Lucy's guildmate and friend," Natsu growled lowly, "And the last thing you want is to mess with anyone in Fairy Tail because then you have to deal with me, Natsu Dragneel."

The shopkeeper was visibly stunned. "You two are Fairy Tail wizards?"

"Sure are," Happy murmured wickedly beside Natsu. "And Natsu is the strongest wizard in our guild. He took out last year's Grand Magic Games winners by himself."

The shopkeeper immediately turned back to me and surrendered the jewel. "Keep the key and just get out of my store! I don't want my livelihood destroyed with everything else your guild demolishes in it's path."

I shoved the jewel back in my purse and started for the door, "Let's go, Natsu!"

I looked back over my shoulder to see Natsu towering over the shopkeeper. "If I ever hear that you're scamming your customers again, I will be back!"

"Natsu!" I grunted, sniffling my tears away. "Let's go!"

Natsu ground his teeth together frustratedly. "Fine. Here is some jewel for the stupid wizard hat. Come on, Happy."

When we exited the shop and found ourselves back out on the streets of the town, I nearly couldn't hold back the tears.

"Aquarius… Where are you?"

"Lucy…" Natsu called as he closed the shop door behind him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I sniffed softly. "I just got my hopes up, that's all."

Natsu gripped my shoulders and whirled me around to face him. "We are going to find Aquarius. I promise."

I hiccuped slightly before he pulled me into a crushing hug. "Thank you, Natsu."

"Let's just go find the inn and see our friends, okay?" Natsu said as softly as he could muster, his head resting on top of mine. "They always make you feel better, right? Plus, knowing Erza, there will be a bathtub in the room so you can do your girly bath thing."

"Okay," I breathed. "A hot bath sounds nice after all this."

Natsu pulled away and sniffed the air. "Yeah, the inn isn't too far from here. Gray reeks anyway, so it shouldn't be too hard to find."

I forced a laugh at his comment. "You're right. Let's go."

Happy smiled up at me as well, "Plus, we get to give this hat to Gray!" The brim of the hat fell over his eyes.

I breathed a small laugh back at Happy. "Right."

With nothing more needing to be said, we began making our way back to the inn.

* * *

 **Ahh…. Another chapter done. It feels so good to be writing again! It's like I've had writers block for 5 years!**

 **As always, don't be afraid to leave a review and tell me how to be a better writer.**

 **I hope you enjoyed! Until next time :)**

 **~NumberSixteen**


	3. A Conflict of Snoring

**A/U:**

 **Back again! I am super stoked to bust out another chapter. The writing juices are a-flowing!**

 **I'm looking forward to writing more!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~NumberSixteen**

* * *

 _Night has draped the town of Velda in darkness and quiet. We meet our heroes at the Stony Hall Inn, where they have settled in for the night._

When Natsu, Happy and I entered Stony Hall Inn, we learned that Erza had split up the rooms between boys and girls.

"There is absolutely no way we are sharing a room with you boys. You both sound like a freight train sleeping. The snoring is just too much." Erza insisted to Natsu and Gray both.

Smoke began billowing out of Natsu's ears. "There is no way I am sharing a room with Frosty here! I can't sleep when the room gets to his temperature!"

Gray butted shoulders with Natsu, "Yeah, and Natsu talks in his sleep! I refuse to share a room with him!"

"Shuddap, will you?!" Natsu turned toward Gray begrudgingly. "I'm definitely not the worse roommate between the two of us!" He whirled back around to Erza, "Why can't Happy and I just room with Lucy? We sleep at her place all the time back in Magnolia!"

"You do?!" I screeched.

Happy laughed awkwardly, "Nope! We definitely don't!" Happy then mumbled under his breath, "Not every night, but most."

I nearly felt a blood vessel pop. "I can hear you, you know!"

"Enough!" Erza once again delivered a clean but signature smackdown to both Gray and Natsu. "I've already chosen who is in which room. If you wanted a say in it, you should have been here when we checked in."

"Gah….." Natsu groaned. "Why do you always have to hit me in the head?"

"Fine." Gray grunted. "But we are keeping it cold in there!"

"Silence!" Erza roared. "Go to your room!"

Both boys hung their heads and hurried up the stairs.

"Man, I forget how scary she is sometimes…" The was the only thing I could hear as they scurried away.

Erza then turned to me, suddenly cheerful and excited. "Okay Lucy, let's go! We're going to have an official girls-only sleepover!"

"Uh…" I laughed awkwardly, unsure what to make of this cheerful side of Erza. "Whatever you say."

We made our way up the stairs and down the hallway. As I followed Erza into the room, I began to admire how comfortable the room appeared. There were two cozy beds, a sofa, a small dining table, and what I assumed to be the door to the bathroom. The room was a nice balance of greens and browns. I sighed as I dropped my bag off my back.

"The bed looks so comfortable!" I smiled as I fell back on it. "And just as I thought, it most certainly is!"

Wendy sat up on the other bed, smiling in shorts and a t-shirt. "I said the same thing!"

"I'm just glad that they boys are in a room of their own," Erza released a sigh of relief. "I have been on so many jobs with them and I still have not able to adjust to their obnoxious snoring."

I sat up on the bed, although it called my name. "Is there a bathtub in here? I could really use a pick-me-up right now."

"Sure thing!" Wendy smiled sweetly. "Erza and I already took turns, so it's all yours!"

A little bubble of happiness grew in my chest. Finally, I can have a hot bath after all this travelling! I jumped to my aching feet and headed for the bathroom. "I might be a while. I haven't taken a good bath in weeks!"

As I shut the door behind me, I breathed a sigh of relief. Today was a long one, even with the little afternoon break we took today. I turned on the water and let the tub begin filling up, warm steam filling the room. As I began to undress, I heard a clank on the floor. I looked down only to see the fake zodiac key that I had picked up from the shop earlier.

 _Oh, Aquarius…_

I picked up the key and passed it through each hand sorrowly. I had gotten ahead of myself today. I should know that Aquarius' key will be much more difficult to find than this. Her key may not even be in Fiore!

 _What was I thinking?!_

I sunk into the warm water, the key still clutched in my hands. It is remarkable how similar it is to the real thing. The way it gleans in the light, how heavy it is, the size of it is spot on. Even though I know it is a fake key, it still looks and feels so real. The only difference between this key and the real one is magic power.

I placed the key down on the side of the tub and laid back, letting the water come up to my neck. Memories of summoning Aquarius in the tub as a child were filling my mind, making it very difficult to relax.

"Ugh…" I groaned and began to hurriedly wash my hair. I can't stay in the tub like this!

As I exited the tub, I could hear Wendy's laugh from the other side of the door. I know that Erza is looking forward to having a girls night, which is already unusual for her. I wondered briefly if it was a symptom of missing the guild. We have been gone for a while now and even I am beginning to miss the everyday guild antics. I hurriedly got ready for bed and grabbed the key from the tub. When I exited the room, I saw Erza, Carla and Wendy laying lazily on the bed nearest to me, playing a card game.

"Wanna play?" Wendy asked cheerfully.

"Sure!" I chirped in a tone that came off a little overly optimistic. "Let me change first."

I scurried over to my bag and shoved the key in the front pocket, hoping it would just disappear altogether. I retrieved my pajamas and quickly changed before joining the trio on the bed. "Now what are we playing?"

* * *

After a very late night of giggling and card playing, Wendy was the first to fall asleep. She and Carla were snuggled up in the bed we had played cards on. Erza and I cleaned up the game and soon, Erza decided it was time to retire the armor and requip into her night clothes.

"There is only two beds," Erza pointed out. "I guess that means we are sharing."

I smiled tiredly back at her, my mood boosted tremendously from the girls night. "That's fine by me!"

"Alright then," Erza huffed and sprawled out under the covers. "Goodnight Lucy."

I climbed into the bed beside her. "Goodnight Erza."

After about an hour, I could no longer take it. I was definitely going insane.

 _Erza's snoring is intolerable!_

I shot up in bed, halfway angry and halfway exhausted. I crooked my head to glare at the snoring knight beside me.

 _She snores like a grown man!_

I could almost hear Elfman commenting gleefully on her manliness in my mind. Yep, I was going cuckoo.

 _I have to get out of here… Right now!_

I snuck out of the bed and shot a jealous look at the peacefully sleeping Wendy and Carla. They sure are lucky they fell asleep first. I'm shocked I hadn't noticed Erza's thunderous snoring before this. I must have just lumped in her snoring with Natsu and Gray's in the past. She is definitely much louder than either of them.

I quietly slipped over to the room door and opened it slowly, fearing that if it creaked I would wake the sleeping giant. When it had opened just enough, I snuck out as quietly as a mouse and shut it behind me. When the door finally closed, I released a sigh of relief at my success.

I started slowly and drearily making my way down the dark hallway. I only had to go a few doors down before Erza's snoring could no longer be heard. I yawned and stretched as I continued on and around the first corner only to see someone with my same idea.

"Natsu?" I asked, surprised to see the pink haired boy sleeping soundly on the floor outside his room. Happy was curled up beside him, huffing softly in his sleep.

"Huunh?" He woke up suddenly, jolting upright. "Where did the feast go?"

I tilted my head, confused. "Feast? What feast?"

Natsu shook his head back and forth several times, attempting to wake up fully. "Lucy? What are you doing here?"

I groaned softly, "I couldn't sleep."

Natsu chuckled playfully, his eyes still drooping. "Is it Erza?"

"How did you know?" I asked off the bat.

Natsu chuckled again, "I'm surprised you've never noticed. She's the loudest of us all."

I plopped down beside Natsu, leaning my back against the wall and hugging my knees. "It is just… so loud!"

Natsu rubbed his eyes and ruffled his hair. "Believe me, I know. She even snored as a kid. Don't ever bring it up to her unless you want a beating."

I laughed quietly at his point. "I wouldn't dream of it. Why are you sleeping out here?"

"Oh me?" Natsu scratched the back of his head and smiled wearily. "I'd rather sleep on the floor out here than in a room with near-frigid temperatures. Gray likes it cold when he sleeps."

I squinted my eyes at him, "But doesn't your fire cancel out his ice?"

Natsu laughed bleakly, "I may be a fire dragon slayer but just like in the white labyrinth, I can't really produce enough heat when I sleep. Gray, on the other hand, could freeze over hell in one night."

"I guess you have a point." I muttered and rested my chin on my knees.

Natsu smiled at me, obviously fighting back a yawn. "You're welcome to sleep on the floor with me if you want!"

I scoffed at him, "Oh, you wish! I'd rather take my chances with Erza."

"Your loss," Natsu murmured, tilting his head back onto the wall and shutting his eyes. "I'm going back to sleep."

It was only a few minutes later that Natsu's snores began once again. I sat in the dimly lit hallway beside him for a few more minutes, smiling to myself.

 _It's good to have the team back together again…_

* * *

 **A/U:**

 **Third chapter is done and dusted! :)**

 **Thanks again everyone and have a happy day!**

 **~NumberSixteen**


	4. The Journey's Last Stretch

**A/U:**

 **Chapter 4 here we come! Please enjoy, everyone!**

 **~NumberSixteen**

* * *

 _It's a brisk morning in Fiore as our heroes leave Velda and continue their quest toward Hellebore. Spirits are high after a comfortable night of rest._

I yawned sleepily as I followed behind Erza's cart and the rest of our group. Gray and Natsu were already bickering, Wendy and Carla were chatting happily about how beautiful the mountains looked in the morning light, and Erza set a pace for us. I was pretty much the only person that hadn't slept well last night, no thanks to Erza. Nevertheless, I looked forward to another day of travelling.

We were very far away from Magnolia now and I knew that it wasn't just myself that was missing home. As we continued walking, we occasionally talked about what might be going on back at the guild. It's begun to settle in with the rest of us that we may not be returning for some time.

"I could definitely go for one of Mira's home cooked meals right about now," Gray added to our on-going conversation about the guild. "Her breakfast burritos are the best."

"You just want to go see Juvia," I teased. "It would be a real shame if she found someone else while you're gone!"

Gray shot me a warning glare and chose not to respond to me. "So how much further until we reach this Hellebore place?"

Erza stopped and pulled out a map of Fiore, "This map is pretty vague when it comes to Eastern Fiore." She folded it to show only Eastern Fiore. "From what I've been able to tell, if we continue North East, we should land in the general vicinity."

Carla tapped her chin as she peeked over Erza's shoulder at the map, "I suppose we will just have to keep our eyes peeled for any volcanos when we get closer."

Wendy audibly sighed, "Yeah but we still have like five more days before we even get close!"

"No problem!" Natsu cheered. "As long as we're together, it'll be an adventure!"

"You said it!" Happy reassured. "And who can be bored with my cute face around?"

My face drooped. I've been on so many jobs with them now, but I still get easily annoyed with Happy. "I sure can."

Happy brushed off my comment with a comeback of his own, "Oh Lucy, you're just jealous that everyone likes me more than you. I don't even have to wear skimpy clothes!"

"Hey cat!" I barked. "That's not true!"

"Here they go again…" Gray rolled his eyes irritably.

I shot him a look, "And you're one to talk."

Wendy waved her hands weakly at us, "Okay guys, let's just keep going."

Erza folded the map up and started pulling her severely overloaded cart again. "That's enough. Let's continue. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can actually start this job."

"Oh yeah!" Natsu cheered again, "I'm fired up now!"

* * *

Back at the Fairy Tail guild hall, things were back to normal for the most part. Everyone was back to butting heads, breaking furniture, and wreaking havoc wherever they went.

"I miss Lulu!" Levy chirped suddenly, looking up from her book. "I wonder how her and the rest of them are holding up…"

Gajeel grunted at her comment, "I'm sure they're fine. I'm just looking forward to giving Natsu a long overdue smackdown when he gets back."

Levy responded with an uneasy laugh. "I'm sure he's looking forward to doing the same thing."

Gajeel was about to spout off at her comment when Juvia cut in. "Look everyone! I got another letter from my beloved Gray!"

"That's great, Juvia!" Mira smiled happily at her guildmate. "What does it say?"

Juvia ripped open the envelope as she sat down across from Levy and began reading. "It says that he misses me and looks forward to coming home! Gahhh, oh my beloved, I miss you too!"

Everyone's faces fell quite a bit before Levy cut in. "We meant that we wanted to know how the job is going…"

"Oh.." Juvia pouted. "It says that they're more than half of the way there now and that Natsu is obnoxious as usual. It also says that everyone says hello!"

Lily crossed his short cat arms, standing at the end of the table. "There isn't anyone better for this job than them. Aside from Gajeel, of course."

"Damn straight," Gajeel agreed heartily. "But Laxus and his team are much less annoying than those dimwits Natsu and Gray."

Levy passed him a testing glare. "And you have more important things to do here."

Gajeel scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "It doesn't mean I've gone soft, though."

Mira decided that this was a good time to cut in. "You're tough as ever, Gajeel. What do you plan on writing back, Juvia?"

Juvia laughed airily, "More love letters of course!"

Mira responded with a stiff laugh, "Well you should also say that the rest of us are doing well!"

"Oo!" Levy butted in, "Can you include a letter to Lulu for me? It would be nice to hear from her and I'm sure she's wondering how her apartment is holding up."

"Sure thing!" Juvia smiled back at Levy.

"Why are they walking that far?" Lily asked pointedly. "They could have easily taken a train, right?"

Levy shook her head back at the group gathered around the table. "The trains only run from Western Fiore to Magnolia. Eastern Fiore doesn't have many big towns, so no need for major transportation."

Elfman and Lisanna happened into the conversation at this time. "Did you hear from Gray and the rest of the team, Juvia?" Lisanna asked happily.

"Sure did!" Juvia smiled.

"That's great!" Lisanna continued, "I hope they're doing well on their trip!"

"They're nearly to their destination now," Mira answered back to Lisanna. "I'm still surprised that Master let them take this quest."

"So manly!" Elfman cheered. "A quest like this one takes only the manliest of wizards!"

Levy looked back at Juvia. "I'll make sure to get you the letter to Lucy later today! Where will they be next?"

Juvia looked back down at Gray's letter, "It looks like they're hoping to find the last town in Eastern Fiore in the next few days. It's called Azolla."

"Great!" Levy closed her book and pulled out a blank paper. "I'll get started on my letter now. Anybody want to add anything?"

Almost everyone else standing nearby raised their hand and Levy just smiled back. "It looks like I'm going to need more paper!"

* * *

It has been three days of straight walking since we left Velda and I have to admit, my feet are beginning to hurt pretty bad. "Guys…" I complained loudly. "I'm sick of walking."

"Get in line," Gray snapped back.

I pouted at him, "I just wish we didn't have to walk everywhere.."

Natsu pumped his fist into the air. "It's much better than riding on a train."

"That's for sure!" Wendy added, "I'm getting sick just thinking about one of those things."

Natsu's also face turned green, following suit with Wendy's comment. A few moments passed before he got himself centered on solid ground again.

I rolled my eyes at the two dragon slayers, "If you're so happy-go-lucky, why don't one of you guys carry me?"

Happy scoffed back at her, "Definitely not me. You'd break my arms off!"

"Hey!" I snapped back, "I am not that heavy!"

"Sure you're not," Happy retorted sarcastically.

I squinted back at the blue tom cat, "Do not make me hurt you, cat."

Natsu cackled at Happy's pout as he walked in front of me, "Don't worry Happy, I won't let the evil lady hurt you."

"Shut up!" I grumbled. "My feet are just hurting a lot."

Natsu turned around to face me as I trailed behind the group. "Well you should have just said that!" He stopped and let me walk up beside him. "Here goes!" He scooped me up and started walking again.

"I wasn't being serious!" I screeched as I swayed with his steps. "I'm fine, just drop me!"

Natsu looked down at me and cackled again before dropping me to the ground. "Alright."

I hit the ground with a thud. "Ouch!" I sat up quickly and started to rub my behind. "You could have set me down." I looked up at a giggling Natsu and pouted once more.

He offered his hand up to me. "Come on, Lucy. There's not too much farther to go today, right Erza?"

Erza simply scoffed back at us. "We're going to be walking through the night if we keep having to stop for these sorts of things."

I grabbed Natsu's hand and stood up. After brushing off my skirt, I grimly looked ahead. "I guess we should keep going then. I don't want to walk all night."

"Finally," Gray grunted at us. "Stop holding us up, will ya?"

I decided not to pick any more fights for now because knowing Erza, she was serious. "Fine. Let's keep going." I forced a smile on my face.

"That's the spirit, Lucy!" Natsu smiled at me as we began walking together. "Fairy Tail wizards never give up!"

* * *

 **A/U:**

 **Don't worry, everyone. I know this is only sort of fluffy right now, but the plot will start to form in the next chapter.**

 **Thanks a bunch for reading!**

 **~NumberSixteen**


	5. Splitting Up

**A/U:**

 **Good day everyone! I have an especially long chapter for you.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **~NumberSixteen**

* * *

 _The town of Azolla is the last stop on the journey to Hellebore for our heroes. It's a small town with only a few homes and shops nestled along the mountainside._

"Thank goodness we made it here!" I cried happily as I flopped down on my bed. I'd opted to rent my own room from Azolla's only inn this time. I was not about to endure through another night of Erza's perpetually thunderous snoring.

I lifted my head to see Natsu standing at my door with his arms folded. "Yeah, yeah. Erza wants us all to meet her downstairs."

"No!" I groaned. "We just got here! I want to take a bath and a nap."

Happy chuckled with Natsu, "She's so predictable."

"I don't even care," I plopped my head back down on the bed. "My feet won't let me walk anymore."

Natsu wandered across the room to the bed. "But Luuuucy… We have to go or Erza will get mad."

I lifted my arms lazily, "Fine.. Help me up, then."

Natsu grinned childishly and grabbed my hands, pulling me off the bed quickly. "If we hurry we can get back soon and you can do your girly stuff."

After he released my hands, I fixed my blouse and grabbed a small jacket. I dragged my feet as I followed him out the door and down the stairs of the inn. Erza, Gray, Wendy, and Carla were all standing together near the front doors waiting for us.

"Took you guys long enough," Gray chided us.

"Lucy's feet hurt," Natsu spat back. "Don't pretend that yours don't hurt too."

Gray gave Natsu a flat look, "Mine don't hurt."

"Silence!" Erza started forcefully, clearly on her last nerve with everyone. "Let's split up and talk to a few of the locals. We need to see what information we can find on Hellebore; especially where it is."

I huffed audibly, "At least it's a pretty small town. I hope this doesn't take too long!"

Erza nodded back at me, "Wendy, Carla, and Gray, you two head to the west part of town. Natsu, Happy, and Lucy head to the East. I'll go by myself and check everywhere else."

Natsu gave Erza a thumbs up, "You got it, boss! Come on, Lucy!"

I groaned and followed behind the pair as we walked out the doors of the inn. My feet dragged behind me, but the chilly mountain weather helped re-energize me. I let Natsu lead the way as we began wandering through the rustic town. A little way down the cobble streets, I saw a sign for their post office. "Natsu, should we stop by and see if there is anything from Juvia? That way Gray doesn't have to come later."

Natsu nodded and pushed the door open to a small, dusty shop front. There was an older gentleman sitting in a tall chair behind the counter with a newspaper from two days ago in his hands. A small coffee cup steamed nearby. When we entered, he peered over the newspaper at us, his glasses halfway down his nose. "Hello there. Ya'll must be trav'lers."

"Yes sir!" I smiled sweetly at him. "We're here to see if any mail is here from our guild!"

The old man grunted irritably and practically threw his newspaper down on the counter in front of him. As he wobbled out of his chair, he cleared his throat and said "Well ya'll wait right thur and I'll go see 'bout that." That being said, he slowly pushed the door open into the back room and disappeared.

I smiled curiously, turning to see Natsu trying to look at the newspaper without moving it. "This newspaper is from a few days ago."

I shrugged and joined him by the counter. "This place is pretty remote."

Natsu tapped his chin, "Don't the post offices use teleportation magic though?"

I shrugged again, "Yeah but I bet it costs a lot of jewel to teleport all the newspapers to this town, so they just wait for them to come by ground."

Just as Natsu was about to respond, the old man reappeared from the back room. "I've one package from Magnolia."

I smiled happily at the old man, "Thank you sir! It's from the Fairy Tail Guild, right?"

"Yes ma'am." The old man said tiredly. "Just need a signature from ya'll."

I picked up the pen as he handed it over to me and signed the slip of paper.

"Oi," Natsu started as I grabbed the package, "You know anything about some place called Hellebore?"

The old man seemed taken aback by the question before pushing his glasses up and clearing his throat again. "That place is up to no good."

I furrowed my eyebrows at him, "What do you mean?"

"Youngsters like ya'll have no business to going a place like that." The old man waved his hand dismissively at us.

Natsu frowned and pressed the man, "Well we're going there. We got a job request at our guild to go there. We don't know anything about it and are hoping to find some information on it."

The old man settled back into his chair, leaning back. "Alright, what do ya'll wanna know?"

I piped up this time, "Anything really. We heard in the last town that there is a woman that lives there."

"Oh nah," The old man grunted, "She don't 'live' there. She's some kinda spirit or somethin'."

"Spirit?" Happy asked, horror coming over him. "Like a ghost?"

"Dunno," The old man shrugged. "I just know that nuthin' can hurt 'er."

Natsu's face became more serious now. "Do you know her?"

The old man cackled and coughed, "Nobody knows who she is. She's been thur forever though."

I bit my lip and racked my brain. _Could she be a celestial spirit? If so, then there has to be a celestial wizard somewhere nearby. But even celestial spirits can take damage…_

"Anything else?" Happy asked softly through the silence that had fallen over all of us.

The old man cleared his throat again and readjusted in his chair. "Well, that place is a fortress. A castle lookin' thing. It's about twenty miles north of 'ere. Used to be some kinda kingdom for dark guilds ages ago. Some people tell tales that black dragons used to live thur and that's why they built it. A wizard came a few years ago… think he was from y'all's 'Fairy Tail' guild too. He was in bad shape when he got back."

"Guildarts…" Natsu muttered.

"S'all I know." The old man muttered and grabbed his newspaper again. As he flicked it back in front of his face he grunted at us again. "Ya'll get out of 'ere now."

I nodded, embarrassed by our lingering. "Thank you for the package, sir!"

As we exited the shop, Natsu and I gave each other wary looks. "So a ghost, huh?" He asked skeptically.

I shook my head, "I was thinking a celestial spirit, but that would mean that there is a celestial wizard inside that castle too."

Natsu shrugged, "Could be. Let's ask around some more."

* * *

"Come on, Wendy. Keep up!" Carla scolded as she cruised through the air above Gray.

"I'm trying!" Wendy moaned. "I'm just tired." She hugged her coat around her tighter. "And it gets so chilly up in these mountains."

Gray stopped in the road and glanced around. They'd tried a few places now, but nobody could seem to tell them much about Hellebore. As he looked, his eyes fell upon a magic shop a little further down the road. "We should try there."

They walked the remainder of the way, their shoes clacking on the cobble. When they got inside, it became clear that this magic shop did not have many visitors. The inside had loads of dusty spell books, a small assortment of magic weapons, and magic trinkets.

"Hello!" A woman called from the counter. She closed the magazine she was reading and greeted them.

"Hello," Wendy smiled back. "We're wizards from Fairy Tail and we're wondering if you can help us!"

The woman's jaw dropped slightly, "You're Fairy Tail wizards?"

"Yep," Gray uttered. "Can you help us or not?"

The woman squealed delightfully at his response. "This is so cool! I have two actual Fairy Tail wizards in my shop!"

"Uh," Carla crossed her furry arms, "Make that three."

"Forget that," Gray urged irritably. "We need to know if you know anything about some place called Hellebore."

The woman's eyes widened at his question, "You want to know about Hellebore?"

"Yes ma'am!" Wendy nodded. "We got a job request to go there."

The woman's face lost all of it's excitement only to be replaced with concern. "What business do you have in such a place?"

Gray frowned at her, "We're hoping you could tell us."

"Well," The woman started, "If anybody can fix that problem, it would be Fairy Tail."

"Problem?" Gray asked flatly.

"Yes," The woman sighed. "Hellebore has plagued this town for generations." She walked out onto the floor of the shop and began looking through the bookshelves. She pulled one with a black spine from the shelf and brought it back to the counter, opening it before Gray, Wendy, and Carla. "You see, centuries ago this was a much bigger town. We had farms and great hunting going in every direction. One day, a master of a dark guild called The Black Dragon and a several of Black Dragon's members came here. They burned down the entire town and all the farms, nearly killing everybody that lived here. They didn't even pause for children. It was horrific."

"That's terrible.." Wendy trailed, her hand covering her mouth.

"It was," The woman continued, flipping the pages to show a dark castle along a mountainside. "After all their destruction, they began to build a castle for themselves. All they had ever said to the townspeople during the massacre was that they had to repent to the Black Dragon."

"Achnologia.." Gray growled.

"Maybe," The woman chirped. "But shortly after the castle was built, the dark guild members were never seen again. The forest began growing back and the people of the town, my ancestors, decided to rebuild. It wasn't long after that before we began sending groups of our strongest wizards and warriors to search the castle. One man was all that ever returned, telling the story of a woman that lives there. She has murdered every single scouting group we have sent there and let one man survive to tell the tale."

"Damn." Gray stated bluntly. "Do you know who she is?"

The woman shook her head bleakly. "There is no mention of her origins or even her name. All that is known about her is she is incredibly powerful and seems to kill anyone that comes within eyesight of the castle. It's made it very difficult for this town to expand any more than this for the last few centuries. Merchants from other towns don't even come here anymore to trade, they just stay away. This job request you've taken is hundreds of years old now. Every wizard that has taken it on has either come back mortally wounded or hasn't come back at all."

"That's really sad," Wendy trailed. "But don't worry, we will take care of it! We are from Fairy Tail, after all!"

The woman smiled bleakly back at us. "Here," She handed Wendy the book. "This may help you guys learn more. It's the only book I have ever found on that place."

"Thanks," Gray nodded at the woman. "We'll return it after we've done the job."

* * *

Erza wandered through the streets of Azolla, rubbing her chin mindlessly as she looked for the town hall. She figured talking to the mayor would be a good start.

As she moved through the town, she wondered briefly how Jellal and his guild were doing. She hadn't spoken to him in a few weeks now and didn't want the grief of being teased by her guildmates with letters. She didn't know where he was right now even if she wanted to send a letter. They used to communicate through his telepathy back in Magnolia, but she knew she was out of his range now.

Shaking her head, Jellal was out of mind and she continued toward what she assumed to be the town hall. The building was small and very old. Moss and thin, straggling vines climbed up the stone walls outside. With a loud creak, she opened the door to a single woman sitting at a wooden table.

"Hello," Erza started. "I'm here from Fairy Tail. Is the mayor available?"

The woman looked up from her notebook she was scribbling in. "Oh hello," She hurriedly put down her pen. "The mayor is out right now, but he should be back shortly. You're welcome to wait." She gestured to a few chairs across the room.

"I'll stand," Erza stated as she watched the woman pick up her pen again. "Are you drawing something?"

"I am," The woman blushed slightly. "It passes the time. We don't get many visitors here."

Erza strode up to her desk to examine the drawing. "A bridge?"

The woman nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's the bridge on the northern side of town. It's the furthest point we are allowed to go north from here."

Erza tilted her head slightly, "Why can't you go past?"

The woman laughed airily, "Well, I suppose you can but anybody that has gone past that point doesn't usually come back."

"Why not?" Erza was becoming curious now.

Clearly, the young lady was starting to feel the pressure of Erza's fierce stare. "Because of the castle in the northern mountains."

Erza was genuinely interested now, "Would that castle happen to be Hellebore?"

The woman's face drained. "Yes, that would be it. Why do you ask?"

"That's why Fairy Tail is here." Erza stated bluntly. "We took the job to deal with it."

The eyes on the young woman immediately widened. "Are you sure that is wise?"

Erza laughed aloud at her, "You surely cannot doubt Fairy Tail."

"I've learned to doubt anyone that goes beyond this bridge," The woman looked down at her drawing sorrowfully.

Erza's face hardened again, "You don't have to fear. If anyone can do it, we can."

"That's what the last Fairy Tail wizard said when he came here. He's only the second person to ever come back alive from that place. When I say alive, I mean barely alive." The woman didn't move her eyes away from her notebook.

Erza shook her head, realizing she was upsetting the young lady. "I suppose I will try back later for the mayor. Please let him know that a team of Fairy Tail wizards have arrived and we have accepted his job request for Hellebore."

"I shall," The woman took note. "Be careful out there, ma'am."

Erza nodded encouragingly back to her before exiting the town hall. It was a waste of her time to come here, but at least she knew they were on the right track. Guildarts had been here and if he can make it out alive, so could the they.

* * *

 **A/U:**

 **This was a much longer chapter and hopefully it helped build the plot some more.**

 **Let me know what you think! Until next time :)**

 **~NumberSixteen**


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